If you mess with America, you mess with the Patriot

PTW’s Miglionico
promotes ‘old school
wrestling with an edge’
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer

FARRAH MAFFAI The Prophet traps the Patriot in a chinlock in the center of the ring. Prime TIme Wrestling returns to Brick May 23.

BRICK — These are good days to be a red-, white- and blue-clad professional wrestler called the Patriot.

Tom Brandi circled the ring at Brick’s Old Guard Hall, slapped hands with fans and offered American flags to two lucky youngsters. His theme song, "The Danger Zone," (made famous in the movie Top Gun) blared, but there was no mistaking the "USA, USA" chants that picked up before and during his match.

Welcome to the world of professional wrestling, where the nationalist attitudes of the crowds drive storylines.

To the wrestlers, it’s a certainty: When America finds itself in times of international conflict, characters like the Patriot thrive.

FARRAH MAFFAI The Prophet punishes the Patriot against the turnbuckles at the Old Guard Hall in Brick.

Perhaps no matches exemplified the phenomenon better than those between Iran’s Iron Sheik and the soldier-gimmicked Sergeant Slaughter, which took place around the time of the Iran hostage crisis. Sergeant Slaughter later became wrestling’s top villain as a self-proclaimed Iraqi sympathizer during the first Gulf War.

"Those days were pivotal. They really set the role for how wrestling is today," said Ben "the Prophet" Wood, the Patriot’s opponent at the Prime Time Wrestling (PTW) "Brick Blowout" on April 25.

Warming up the afternoon before his match, Wood, 28, of Toms River, praised Brandi for his accomplishments and professionalism. But in the ring, the Prophet, a white Rastafarian who considers himself a visionary spokesman for Third World countries, called the Patriot "the symbol of how corrupt, how rotten your country is."

The Prophet also shouted down a ringside woman who chanted, "USA!" with, "Shut your mouth! USA is going down!" He was booed roundly for both stunts. In essence, Wood said, the fans were booing not only the Prophet, but anti-American sentiments everywhere.

"It’s a reflection of society itself," Wood said. "It’s a chance for the fans to live vicariously through somebody in the ring."

"People are always enthusiastic about it. It’s always had a great reaction, but now there’s just a lot more energy," Brandi said of life as the Patriot during wartime.

Brandi, 36, of King of Prussia, Pa., has wrestled for 17 years, and continues to do so for a living on about three cards per week. Not long ago, Brandi was one of a few men to don the mask of the Patriot in Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Federation, now called World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

He also wrestled under the names of Tom Brandi, Salvatore Sincere and others before sellout crowds at major arenas around the globe. It’s a stark contrast from the 100 or so spectators who turned out at the Old Guard Hall, Duchess Lane.

"You’ve got to wrestle and stay busy in these kinds of settings to fine-tune your craft," Brandi said, signing photos at a table for some fans.

PTW’s promoter is Joe Miglionico, a 38-year-old wrestler from Staten Island, N.Y. Miglionico hopes to one day televise his promotion and build it into an independent alternative to the WWE, much like Extreme Championship Wrestling was a few years ago.

As a promoter, Miglionico’s philosophy is to put something on the card for everyone; "old school wrestling with an edge" is the PTW slogan. He tries to book the best independent wrestlers available and balance his cards with a variety of matches.

The organization process for a show can begin months ahead of time. Miglionico said he sometimes drives around in search of a potential venue, then negotiates with its owner for a price to rent it. Venue owners are often scared off by liability lawsuits that could result from injuries suffered on their properties, he said.

Miglionico said he begins booking his lineups about six weeks in advance. By 5 p.m. that Friday, the ring was fully assembled by a group of young aspiring wrestlers who then took the opportunity to practice.

"The way I see it, there are three types of guys in this business," Miglionico said. "There are guys who have a legitimate shot at making it; there are guys who are living in a fantasy land; and there are guys who are just out to entertain the kids."

Miglionico considers himself in the third category. He started wrestling in 1989 but was sidetracked by an injury.

"It’s in my blood," Miglionico said. "One day, I started seeing guys I trained with wrestling on television –– like Taz and Tommy Dreamer –– and I said, ‘I have to try it again before I turn 40.’"

One wrestler he believes has an honest shot at making the big time is Wood. He was recently invited to join the Ohio Valley Wrestling promotion, which serves as a developmental league for the WWE. It’s a huge opportunity for Wood, but he knows he must be as focused as ever to capitalize on it.

"A lot of hard work has gone into (getting the invitation)," Wood said. "I’m leaving behind the wife and kid to follow my dream, even though nothing is guaranteed."

It’s an opportunity Rick Molinia, 19, of Toms River dreams about. Although he’s only 5 feet 10 inches tall and 185 pounds, Molinia said he is using an intense training and dietary regimen so he can pursue his lifelong goal of wrestling for the WWE. He currently studies physical fitness at Ocean County College.

Molinia started training to become a wrestler at 15 but was recently sidelined after an in-ring accident left him with 26 stitches on his scalp and recurring headaches, he said.

But none of this will deter "Li’l Ricky" from returning to the independent scene, hoping to catch his big break.

"I want to make it to Ohio Valley," Molinia said. "It may take a couple of years of work, but I know the path, and I’ll get there."

Prime Time Wrestling will return to the Old Guard Hall, 170 Duchess Lane, May 23.